In her book
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Based off of Sumner's Return. Diane does a little thinking and comes to some conclusions about why she chose Sam. It turned out, it wasn't that difficult- not compared to what he had done- just for her.


Sumner had returned. And not only had he returned, but he returned a liar and apparently still the same cheat that he always had been. Why had she been so blind? What was it about Sumner Sloan that had even made Diane consider taking him back, albeit briefly?

The thought unnerved her, perhaps even more so Diane than it had Sam. But why? That was what she couldn't wrap her mind around. Sure, things had been tough for Sam and Diane, especially at the beginning, but was it worth throwing it all away just for a man more educated than the bartender Malone?

No, she decided contently as she cuddled into Sam's arms, a vcr tape of War and Peace playing.

Fortunately for them, she'd had the tape for years, but it wasn't until this very moment that Diane came to appreciate the novel, in ways that she had never dreamed of doing so before.

He had read it for her. It was that simple. Certainly Diane had had her share of suitors over the years who tried, without fail, to impress her, but it was Sam's gesture that meant the most to her. It shouldn't be that complicated- he read a book. But it was no ordinary book- it was War and Peace, one of the great literature pieces of all time. And it was no Dr. Suess book. It was long, complicated, and even she had to admit, boring at times. But for Sam to have read it at all, let alone in five days, well that just meant the world to her.

They hadn't really talked about feelings, much. Sure, Diane knew that Sam had cared for her, perhaps even from the beginning. But now, without question, it was obvious to her what might not even have been to him- it was love.

How could a simple gesture of offering Diane a job turn into something so meaningful, something so significant, something so...so touching? Yes, Sam had definitely had earned a place in her heart, even if she wasn't altogether ready to admit as much.

It was a book, not brain surgery. Why, of all nights, did Diane suddenly feel so close to Sam? In some ways, she had never felt this close to anyone, save for her childhood cat. But even that was, even her eyes, an immature and one sided affection, with the cat allowing her to pet it and hold it on occasion. But this was different. Sam was her guy, and there was something about the thought that excited Diane, perhaps more than it should have.

And what a guy he was. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, Sam nonetheless had apparently come to hold a special place in her heart. As hard as she tried to resist, she found that she couldn't, not completely. If there were only some way she could repay him.

"Sam," she sighed contentedly. "Do you love me?"

"Ah, geesh Diane. We've had a perfectly good evening, why do you have to go and ruin it like that," he paused, pretending to take interest in the movie.

She grabbed the remote and paused the movie. "I mean it, it weren't love, would you have done what you did for me tonight?"

"Don't go analyzing me to death. You know I hate when you do that!"

"I'm sorry, Sam," she softened her voice, using a gentler approach. "What I mean to say is, why are we together?"

"I don't know. I kind of like you and you kind of like me...and we both think I'm a pretty okay looking guy," he laughed.

"Oh, stop," she playfully nudged him. "I realize that you like me, and that I kind of, sort of, like you, but if this isn't leading anywhere, then where else can we take this...what we have? I have to admit, it will be kind of hard to top what you did for me this week."

"So I'm expected to to this kind of...crap...all the time? Oh geesh, Diane, you're really killing me now. Isn't it good enough that we're together; shouldn't that mean anything to you?"

She brightened up and then wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close for a kiss. "Oh, Sam, you can be so sweet when you want to be."

"What'd I do this time?" Now he was genuinely confused, although not ungrateful for the sudden burst of affection.

"You don't get it, do you? You are you. That's all I could ask for and all that I've ever wanted from you. Thank you- for being you."

"I am what I am and that's all I am," he modestly defected from the unexpected compliment.

"Oh Sam, you big kidder. You know what... forget about my question. I have decided, upon much contemplation, that I do not require anything from you, other than your just being yourself."

"Is that a good thing?"

Diane looked at him with a glint in her eyes. "In my book, that's everything."

And they forgot about the movie, and instead turned to each other for comfort from a long, exhausting week. And in his book, Diane wasn't so bad after all. He knew then and there that as long as he lived, there would be only one woman for him. But he wasn't ready to admit it, not yet anyways.

The end


End file.
